PYRAMUS AND THISBE J.F. Lampe (1745)

 

Characters

Mr Semibrief - theatrical entrepreneur
A Gentleman - just returned from the tour of Italy
The Master - employee of Mr Semibrief
Pyramus (tenor), taking the role of tragic Babylonian lover
Thisbe (soprano), the inamorata of the above
Prologue and Lion (baritone), warm-up man and very gentle beast
Wall and Moon (tenor), representing the wall through which the lovers discourse and the moon that illuminates the final tragedy.

Synopsis
It is 1745 and Italian opera is all the rage. Mr Semibrief thinks he has all the answers. He will mount an opera in the fashionable Italian style based on a tragic myth from Babylon. With an English text and English singers, he will save money, revitalise English opera and make his fortune. He invites a Gentleman who has just returned from a tour of Italy and who might come up with some cash, to see his new work.

 

Backstage at the theatre, they prepare to see a rehearsal. First of all they are entertained by the overture